Never meant to be
by Whirlwind Striker
Summary: Oneshot: Milhouse Van Houten has had many crushes, but one of them was always more special than the rest. What happened to her, to Samantha Stanky?


This fic is my way of tying up the loose end that is Samantha Stanky. You know, the girl that Milhouse liked way before Lisa? This is a oneshot, so I hope you're not expecting a sequel. This was painful enough to write as it is.

* * *

_'Rain; how Mother Nature mocks my tears.'_ Milhouse Van Houten thought to himself, staring sadly out the window. Upstairs, he could hear the sound of his mother and her latest boyfriend getting up to _"Adult Games"_, as Louanne would say.

_'As unknowingly as she might be doing it, even my own mother is making fun of me.'_ the boy thought, walking over to his bedside table. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out a photo album. Within it were pictures of all the girls he'd ever liked, Lisa Simpson making multiple appearances. Opening it, he realised that there was a blank spot towards the very beginning of the album.

_'Great! Abso-freakin'-lutely perfect!'_ Milhouse thought, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He couldn't remember who the photo was of, but he knew it was someone far more special than any of the other girls in the album... more so than Lisa!

Milhouse closed the album and grabbed the handset for his _Itchy & Scratchy_ telephone, dialling the one person who may remember what he'd forgotten.

* * *

Bart Simpson was in the middle of a particularly enjoyable issue of _Radioactive Man_ when his _Krusty the Clown_ telephone started ringing. Running a hand slowly down his face, he checked his Caller I.D. before answering.

"Milhouse, you'd better have a damn good reason for calling me on what's probably been one of the best rainy Saturdays I've had for months, or I swear I'll-" Bart began before he was unexpectedly cut off by the very boy he was threatening.

_"Cut the crap, Bart! You know just as well as I do that you'd never hurt me!"_

Bart went numb, a faint memory nagging at the back of his mind.

"Anyway... What do you want?" Bart asked, shaking off the unexpected outburst from his best friend.

_"There's a photo missing from my Crush Album. I don't remember who the photo was of, though. All I remember is that whoever it was meant a lot to me."_ Milhouse said.

Bart cupped his chin in thought. He mentally ran through a list of all the girls Milhouse had ever liked, that nagging memory becoming clearer with each passing second. Bart's eyes widened and he froze.

_'Uh-oh...'_ Bart thought, remembering for the first time in ages what he'd done.

_"Bart? You still there?"_ Milhouse asked.

Bart gulped nervously. Reminding Milhouse of that fateful day would surely put a severe dent in their friendship. On the other hand...

_'If I don't tell him, I'm gonna feel sick to the stomache for the rest of my life!'_ Bart thought, sweat forming on his brow.

_"Bart?! Hello?! Earth to Bart!"_ Milhouse shouted, trying to make himself heard over the background noise of God knows what.

"Milhouse, the girl's name is Samantha Stanky! Also, there's no easy way to say this but... I'm the reason you haven't seen or heard from her again!" Bart confessed, cringing pre-emptively for what he was sure would be the earful of a lifetime from the blue-haired boy. The only response Bart got was a dialtone.

_'He hung up? Why didn't he threaten to tear me a new one?'_ Bart wondered, shivering at the thought of Milhouse possibly blacking out in rage.

* * *

Milhouse hung up as soon as Bart had said the name he'd long forgotten.

_'Samantha! Of course!'_ Milhouse thought, running out into the rain. Hopping on his bike, he made his way to the school where he had parted ways with his sweetheart. Upon his arrival, though, he noticed something wrong.

"_'Condemned'_?!" Milhouse shouted, reading a sign nailed to the front entrance. Thinking quickly, he grabbed his _MyPhone_ and looked in the White Pages for any 'Stanky's in Springfield. Milhouse grinned as one result came up.

"_'859 Rainbow Road'_, got it!"

Milhouse pedalled as fast as his legs would allow, memories of Samantha that had previously faded from his mind flashing in front of his eyes. Milhouse braked and surprisingly pulled a perfect dismount from his bike.

Milhouse tidied himself up a little and rang the doorbell.

The door opened to reveal Samantha's father, who Milhouse suddenly remembered was very protective of the girl. Upon seeing Milhouse, the man bit his lip.

"I remember you. Come in, you're better off hearing this from me." Mr. Stanky said, gesturing for Milhouse to come inside.

Entering the living room, Milhouse noticed an urn on the fireplace mantle.

"What's your name, son?" Mr. Stanky asked.

Milhouse fidgeted a little before speaking. "Milhouse, sir. Milhouse Van Houten. I'm here to see Samantha. Does she remember me at all?" Milhouse asked, hope evident in his voice.

Mr. Stanky sighed, crouching down and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "She... remembered you, alright." he said, nodding towards the urn. "She died from a brain tumor earlier this month."

Milhouse froze, his mind numb.

"I'm sorry. I guess it was never meant to be."

* * *

As Milhouse sat alone in his room that night, looking sadly at the picture of Samantha that her father had given him, his thoughts from earlier in the day repeated themselves: _'Rain; how Mother Nature mocks my tears.'_

**THE END**


End file.
